Emlee Johansson leaves The Gems, cites touring stress and exhaustion

Emlee Johansson stepped away from The Gems after saying years of nonstop touring had left her worn out, and she made a point of separating the music from the grind around it. The Swedish hard rock drummer said the live shows themselves were still the part she loved; it was the travel, lack of sleep, pressure, and constant stress that finally made a break feel necessary. She framed the move as a new chapter and asked fans to keep backing Guernica Mancini and Mona Lindgren.

That puts a very human edge on a band that, in just over three years, built a fast rise from post-Thundermother momentum to real scene heat. The Gems formed in February 2023 after Johansson, Mancini, and Lindgren left Thundermother following a six-year run. They made their live debut on March 22, 2023 at Pustervik in Gothenburg, Sweden, opening for The Night Flight Orchestra, then moved quickly into the studio. Phoenix arrived on January 26, 2024 through Napalm Records, and Year of the Snake followed on March 13, 2026. Napalm says the new record runs 14 tracks deep and also notes that the band’s first single, Like a Phoenix, reached No. 2 on the German Rock Radio Airplay Charts.

For drummers, Johansson’s exit lands as more than a personnel change because her role has been central to The Gems’ identity. Napalm has described her drumming as the band’s heartbeat, and in a trio, losing that engine can reshape both the live punch and the chemistry around it. Johansson also signaled that the band may not be done searching for a new player, telling fans, “If you are a badass female drummer, don’t hesitate to contact the girls!”

Mancini and Lindgren said they had already had a few weeks to process the decision and called it heartbreaking, while making clear they supported Johansson taking the step for herself. Mancini said in a March 2026 interview that the band wants to let each member live their own life while still remaining part of The Gems, a sentiment that carries extra weight as Lindgren recently gave birth to a son. Between family change, relentless travel, and the physical toll of nightly playing, Johansson’s departure has become a reminder that the hardest part of drumming is not always what happens onstage.